What You Should Know About the “Right of First Refusal” in an Illinois Parenting Plan

Divorced and unmarried parents in Illinois are required to submit a parenting plan, or parenting agreement, to the court. The plan describes how the parents will allocate parental responsibilities and share parenting time. A shared parenting arrangement can leave one parent with significantly less parenting time than he or she would prefer. If you are looking for ways to increase your parenting time, one way to do so may be through the “right of first refusal.”

Understanding Your Right to Enjoy Additional Parenting Time

The right of first refusal refers to a parent’s right to gain additional parenting time when the parent who is assigned parenting time cannot fulfill this commitment. Consider the following example: A father is assigned parenting time, formerly called visitation, every other weekend. He misses his children and wishes he could spend more time with them. On one of the weekends that the children’s mother is assigned parenting time, she must leave town for a work obligation. Because the parents included directions about the right of first refusal in their parenting plan, the mother is required to notify the father about her work trip and give him the opportunity to care for the children during her absence. If the father cannot take on the additional parenting time, then the mother is permitted to find a third-party such as a babysitter or grandparent to care for the children.

Deciding How The Right of First Refusal Will Apply

Parents will need to decide how the right of first refusal will apply to their particular situation and include this information in their parenting plan. Parents should consider:

How long a parent’s absence must be in order for the right of first refusal to apply

How much advance notice the parent who is originally assigned parenting time should give the other parent if he or she will be absent

The amount of time that the other parent has to accept or refuse the additional parenting time

Transportation arrangements for the children

It is not always easy for parents to reach an agreement about the right of first refusal or the other terms of their parenting plan. Many parents find that mediation and guidance from an experienced child custody attorney are extremely helpful during the creation of a parenting plan.

Contact a St. Charles Child Custody Lawyer

Illinois parents who are planning to divorce will need to create a parenting plan that describes each parent’s child-related rights and responsibilities. If parents cannot reach an agreement about these issues, the court may need to intervene. For help negotiating the terms of your parenting plan and zealous representation during court proceedings, contact Shaw Family Law, P.C. Schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Kane County family law attorney from our firm by calling us at 630-584-5550 today.